Chapter 267: Childish (Unedited)
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Gumihou: … I’m kneading my forehead now. Just… this… go ahead and read this if you enjoy the feeling of your brain melting out of your ears, nose and eyes. If you do not wish to do yourself an injury, please go to the Edited version
The next day, around noon, Jin Fengju returned. However, the once elegant and dashing young Marquis now appeared dark and thin. He was wearing a set of armour, which was stained with blood and mud, making him unrecognizable to the servants guarding the gate. After he entered, they rubbed their eyes a few times and murmured, “Oh my, how did the young Marquis become like this?”
Jin Fengju went directly to the backyard, where Yue Lan and Cui’shi were sitting and chatting at the courtyard. Several maidservants were playing nearby when they saw a formidable and imposing general walking in, they were startled and hurriedly tried to stop him, saying, “Who are you? If you have military-related reports, you should naturally go to the yamen first. Why did you barge in here?” Before they could finish speaking, they realized that it was their own master.
Fu Qiuning and the others inside the house heard the commotion outside and hurried out. When they saw Jin Fengju’s appearance, they were all taken aback. Jin Fengju smiled and said, “What’s wrong? Don’t recognize me? I rushed back on a fast horse all the way. Jian Feng, quickly pour me a cup of tea.”
Jian Feng quickly agreed and went to do so. Fu Qiuning then said with a smile, “What happened? How did you end up looking like this? Did you fight the pirates or go fishing at sea every day?” As she spoke, the three women went out together and surrounded Jin Fengju. Fu Qiuning then turned and instructed, “Qiu Yu, call for someone to bring hot water. Look at the way the master looks, as if he just rolled in the mud.”
At this moment, Jian Feng also brought the tea. Jin Fengju looked at the delicate teapot and teacup and couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh, “My throat is smoking right now, and I’m still treated as if it’s a normal day for tea.” After speaking, he disregarded his demeanor and lifted the teapot to pour it into his mouth. However, Fu Qiuning snatched it away and said, “This is scalding hot water. Even the master shouldn’t risk burning his tongue. Jian Feng, go get a pot of lukewarm water.”
In a moment, Jian Feng returned with lukewarm water. Jin Fengju gulped it down in one breath and then sat in a chair. Before Fu Qiuning could speak, he asked, “When I came back, I saw a dead pirate on the street. I asked around, and they all said that the pirates broke into the magistrate’s yamen at night, resulting in two deaths and one injury. What happened? Where is the injured pirate?”
Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “That happened last night, and we have to thank the big lynx for this…”. She then explained the situation. Jin Fengju furrowed his brows as he listened and suddenly stood up, saying, “Where is the injured pirate? I want to interrogate him. It’s a hidden danger for there to be pirates in Quanzhou City, even if their numbers are small.”
Cui’shi, feeling a bit braver in front of Fu Qiuning, quickly grabbed Jin Fengju and said with a smile, “Why are you in such a hurry, my lord? The maidservants have already been instructed to bring hot water. You should clean up first, see the children, and then find time to interrogate the pirate. Otherwise, if the children see you like this, they might get scared.”
Jin Fengju furrowed his brows and said, “There are priorities in everything. If there is a remaining pirate in the city, it could lead to a bloodbath. How can I have time for these things?” Just as Yue Lan was about to say something, Fu Qiuning interrupted with a smile, “Don’t stop him. Let him go. Otherwise, if he can’t extract any information from the interrogation, he might not even be able to eat.”
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “Qiuning understands me. You all stay here with Nainai. I’ll be back soon.” With that, he finally left, leaving Cui Shi and Yue Lan looking at each other helplessly but with a smile.
“Madam spoils him too much.” After Jin Fengju disappeared, Cui’shi and Yue Lan returned to the hall and sat down. Yue Lan smiled and said to Fu Qiuning. However, Fu Qiuning shook her head and smiled, “How am I spoiling him? In the past, it took so much effort for the young Marquis to move me out of Wanfeng Pavilion. Others might not know, but you should understand, right? But today’s situation is different. He is doing important work. Can I stop him? His clothes are dirty like that. Doesn’t he find it uncomfortable himself? He eagerly went to interrogate the suspect first, which shows how much he values this matter. Why should I make him listen to my arrangement and bathe first?”
Cui Shi and Yue Lan listened to these words in silence. After a while, Cui Shi sighed and said, “No wonder my lord dotes on you. Speaking of which, indeed only you are my lord’s confidante. If it were Lady Wan’er, she would never let my lord go and interrogate the suspect first…” At this point, she suddenly realized what she had said and quickly smiled, “I didn’t mean anything else, please don’t take it to heart, it’s just…”
Before she could finish speaking, Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “I understand what you mean, sister. There’s no need to say it. Yes, these past few days have become hot again. Who would have thought the weather in the south would be so humid and hot? I wonder if you all are not used to it…” She skillfully changed the topic.
Even after Cui’shi and Yue Lan left, Jin Fengju still hadn’t returned. However, Jin Changfeng, Jin Zhenyi, and others came over. They searched around the hall, and Fu Qiuning secretly found it amusing to see them looking around. She didn’t reveal anything and just slowly drank her tea, savouring its bitterness and sweetness. As expected, it was Jin Zhenyi who couldn’t help but speak up first, “Mother, where is Father? They said he came back, but why don’t we see him? We didn’t see him when we came from the back just now.”
“Your father went to the firewood shed.” Fu Qiuning put down her teacup and was about to say something with a smile, but Jin Zhenyi, Jin Changfeng, and Jin Changjiao were startled. Jin Changjiao then exclaimed loudly, “Mother, it’s Father’s fault for not coming back for more than half a month, but you can’t lock him in the firewood shed. This… this is too unreasonable. Actually, a small punishment would have sufficed, right?”
“What are you all thinking?” Fu Qiuning couldn’t believe the imagination of these children. They actually thought she had locked Jin Fengju in there. How ridiculous was that? She looked at Jin Changjiao and couldn’t help but think, “It’s unfortunate that this child was born in this era. If it were modern times, she might have become a successful internet writer, who knows, she might have even become famous. It’s a pity.”
At this point, Jin Changfeng and others also realized what had happened and couldn’t help but laugh. Jin Zhenyi pointed at Jin Changjiao and bent over, clutching his stomach, saying, “You actually said Mother locked Father up. Oh my, you dare to think even more than me, hahaha… You truly… truly deserve to be my sister.”
Jin Changjiao, feeling embarrassed and angry, couldn’t help but blush and stomp her foot. She bit her lip and said, “Hmph, I don’t believe none of you thought that just now. I was just the first one to say it out of urgency. And now each one of you has the nerve to laugh at me. Mother, even you, you should have just said Father went to interrogate the pirate, and your daughter would have understood. Now it’s just become a joke…”
Fu Qiuning laughed and said, “Well, who can you blame for that? It’s you who judged others by your own petty thoughts. Oh, I’m so unbearable, you’re annoyed that your father hasn’t come back in over half a month? I can’t believe you’ve been with me for so many years and have forgotten my temperament.”
“Yes, yes, sister has a small mind and thinks of others with a petty mindset.” Jin Zhenyi is always afraid that the world won’t be in chaos. He is usually suppressed by Jin Changjiao, but now he has seen her joke and starts to exaggerate and jump around. Laughter filled the room for a while, mixed with Jin Changjiao’s annoyance and anger.
Fu Qiuning laughed for a while, then picked up her teacup and took two sips. Thanks to these children, her mood had improved a lot. She smiled and watched the children playing and laughing. Suddenly, she heard Jian Feng’s voice at the door, “Hey? Second Miss, why are you sitting here? Get up quickly.”
Fu Qiuning was stunned, and Jin Changfeng and the others were also stunned. They hurried out to see Jin Xiuzhen sitting behind the door. When she saw them coming out, she stood up without saying a word and turned back.
“Second Miss, since you’re here, come in and have a seat.” Fu Qiuning saw that this strong-willed and even somewhat sharp girl had a pale complexion. She couldn’t help but feel sympathy. After all, she was just a few years old, and the grievances between adults had nothing to do with children. Moreover, Jin Xiuzhen’s current appearance was probably due to the death of the little kitten, showing her innocent heart.
Jin Xiuzhen stopped in her tracks and turned back. Her eyes were already teary. She choked and said, “Flower Ball is dead, Mother, I… I didn’t take care of it…” Before she could finish her sentence, she squatted down and burst into tears.
Fu Qiuning felt a sourness in her eyes and was also surprised. She thought to herself, how could the Second Miss, who was usually so strong and even a bit sarcastic, become like this because of a small cat? It was truly unbelievable. On the other hand, children naturally love animals. If she was so sad because of a dead kitten, it meant that her nature was not too bad. After all, she was Jin Fengju’s daughter, and even though she was raised by Jiang Wanying, she probably inherited some of her father’s traits.
While thinking about this, Jin Changfeng, Jin Changjiao, and others helped her up. Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them, followed by Jin Fengju’s voice, “Is that Xiuzhen? What’s wrong? Why are you crying like this?”
Fu Qiuning turned her head and looked at Jin Fengju. After a while, his face had become as if it had been fished out of the water. The weather was hot, but he hadn’t taken off his armour. It was clear how uncomfortable he must be. She said, “It’s nothing. The little cat that the Second Miss raised died, so she’s sad here. I was just comforting her. You should go take a bath quickly, or else you might get heat rash on your body.”
When Jin Xiuzhen saw her father, she quickly stopped crying. But Jin Fengju laughed and said, “What’s the big deal? It’s just a little cat. Is it worth crying like this?” But he was glared at by Fu Qiuning, who was unhappy. She said, “Don’t underestimate the feelings of children. Just because adults have all kinds of emotions, doesn’t mean children don’t understand. If you can’t understand, then don’t speak nonsense.”
Jin Fengju raised his hand and laughed, “Alright, alright, I admit that you’re right. Since that’s the case, you comfort Xiuzhen for me. I really need to go wash up. My body is really stinky. I’ve travelled so much in the past, except for that time in Yangzhou, nowhere else has given me as much trouble as this. Just look at how dark I’ve become from the sun, the emperor wouldn’t even recognize me if he were here.” As he said that, he walked into the house, and Jian Feng quickly led him to the backyard where there was a specialized bathing room.
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